Olympic Trials marathon held in Houston

Houston streets helped determine who will be running the marathon in London at the 2012 Olympics. The U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials were held Saturday morning.

The top three male finishers -- Meb Keflezighi, Ryan Hall and Abdi Abdirahman -- and top three female finishers -- Shalane Flanagan, Desiree Davila and Kara Goucher -- made the U.S. Olympic team, pending final approval by the U.S. Olympic Committee's board of directors.

The athletes' next stop is the 2012 Olympics in London.

Keflezighi, 36, set a personal record when he finished first at 2:09:08. Hall, 29, came in at 2:09:30 and Abdirahman finished third at 2:09:42. The top four male finishers all finished under 2:10, which is a first for any marathon.

"It’s an honor to be on the Olympic team for third time. It was all about being on the team -- not who came in first, second or third," Keflezighi said.

Keflezighi grabbed a United States flag from a bystander at mile 26 and carried it across the finish line to the screaming cheers from the crowd.

"This is the race where we represent our country," he said.

Hall said it's an honor to run with his heroes.

"I watched you guys make the Olympic team when I was high school," Hall joked. "Meb has shown it's possible by earning the silver medal. What it's going to take to win London is doing what we did today."

For the women's race, Flanagan, 30, snagged the first spot at 2:25:38. Davila, 28, came in second at 2:25:55 and Goucher, 33, was third with a time of 2:26:06.

Flanagan set a new U.S. Olympic Trials marathon record for women. She set a personal record by 3 minutes, 2 seconds.

"It was a great day and I'm so grateful to be on this team with this women," Flanagan said. "The crowd was amazing today and the support."

More than 300 of the fastest distance runners in the country competed in the 26.2-mile, three-loop course that started and ended in front of the George R. Brown Convention Center.

Five of the six reigning U.S. Olympians competed in the race -- Ryan Hall, Dathan Ritzenhein, Deena Kastor, Magdalena Lewy Boulet, and Blake Russell. They were joined by 2004 marathon team members Meb Keflezighi, Colleen De Reuck, and Jen Rhines, and 1996 Olympic marathoner Linda Somers Smith. Keflezighi and Kastor are both 2004 Olympic medalists, with Keflezighi winning silver and Kastor bringing home the bronze.

In addition to a spot on the U.S. Olympic team, athletes competed for a prize purse totaling $250,000 in each race, plus bonuses. The men’s and women’s champion each take home $50,000.

NBC will broadcast two hours of coverage from 2 to 4 p.m. CT Saturday. The comprehensive coverage will be the first time that both men's and women's Olympic Trials have been televised on the same day.

The 2012 Olympics will be broadcast on NBC and KPRC Local 2, beginning July 27.

As part of the Olympic Trials, Discovery Green became the temporary home to Trials Town, an interactive fan festival featuring the "Road to London Tour." Trials Town is open for all ages and teaches what it takes to achieve the Olympic dream.

Trials Town is open until 4 p.m. Saturday.

On Sunday, the 40th anniversary of the Chevron Houston Marathon will take place in downtown Houston beginning at 7 a.m.